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Cheap Tool Secrets | © 2010

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Copyright Notice: This material is copyright ©2010 with all rights reserved. It is for your own personal use only. It does not come with any distribution rights. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any shape or form, either electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without express written permission from the author. In particular, you may not under any circumstances upload this document to any file sharing networks or services. Important Disclaimer: Furthermore, the information and ideas expressed in this publication are the opinion of the author and is in no way to be construed as legal, tax or accounting advice. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any liabilities or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information.


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Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................4

Secret Source #1: Pawnshops.........................................7

Secret Source #2: Reconditioned Tools ............................7

Secret Source #3: Estate Sales .......................................8

Secret Source #4: Auctions ............................................9

Secret Source #5: Classifieds .......................................11

Secret Source #6: Yard Sales .......................................11

Secret Source #7: Craigslist .........................................12

Secret Source #8: Other Classifieds Websites .................21

Closing Thoughts.........................................................22


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Introduction Are there are any power tools you’d love to have in your garage but simply can’t afford?

If so, then you’re going to love this guide, because I’m going to show you eight different ways to get that tool (and most other tools you want) for a fraction of what everyone else pays. Shhhh! But first, let’s talk for a

minute about strategy. The way I see it, there are two basic approaches to buying tools:

1. Buy cheap 2. Buy quality

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Let’s look at each approach separately. Option #1 - Buy cheap We’ve all been there. We can’t afford the high quality tool we’d like to have, but we have a project to do, so we buy the cheaper one, just to get the job done.


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We tell ourselves “next time, I’ll get the quality tool.” But next time we’re in the hardware store, we’re short on cash again and find ourselves reaching for the cheapo. Before we know it, our garage is full of low-quality tools that don’t have the features or the power we need. These cheap tools break often, so we go back to the store and wrestle with the “cheap vs quality” dilemma all over again. Usually, we buy a cheap replacement tool instead of the premium. And so the cycle repeats itself. We’d prefer to own the higher quality tool, but we end up choosing to save a bit cash in the short term instead, even if it means we end up paying more in the long run. Option #2 - Buy quality Let’s face it, high-end tools are a pleasure to work with. Their greater durability, features and power makes woodworking projects ten times easier than trying to muddle along with cheap tools.


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Problem is, quality costs. Maybe your wife gives you a hard time about spending all that money on tools instead of taking her on vacation. Maybe you’ve had to cut back on other spending to

compensate for your big Lowe’s bill. Or, maybe it takes you longer to buy the tools you want because the high price tag forces you to save up and buy one tool at a time over a period of years. As you can see, there are strong disadvantages to both approaches. May I humbly suggest a third option? Option #3 - Buy quality at cheap prices I strongly recommend you save money on tools NOT by buying low quality, but by finding and buying solid, proven brands at bargain prices. The best way to do that is to use the secret sources I reveal in the pages below.


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NOTE: The only time it might make sense to buy cheap tools at cheap prices is if they are for commercial use, where premium tools will often get dropped, lost or stolen long before you get your money’s worth out of them.

If you want some advice on what brands to buy, this is a very helpful and in-depth article: http://www.epinions.com/content_3304824964 Got all that? Okay, let’s get started!

Secret Source #1: Pawnshops Local pawnshops often have a reasonable selection of good

power tools available at bargain prices. And don't be afraid to haggle. All prices are negotiable.

BIG TIP: This is a bit devious, but for best results, swing by your local pawn shop a day or two before

pay day. That’s when most people have to hock their tools!

Secret Source #2: Reconditioned Tools Reconditioned and refurbished tools are used tools (often ones returned due to defects) that have been re-fitted by


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the manufacturer, checked for quality, then put back on the market. This is a great way to get like-new, top-brand power tools at a greatly reduced price. Here are some websites that have a large inventory of reconditioned power tools: http://www.toolking.com/ http://www.toolsnow.com/ http://nextag.com/factory-refurbished-tools/compare-html http://www.toolcrib.com/ http://www.cpooutlets.com/ If you want to do some digging on your own, try searching Google or Bing using the following types of phrases:

“reconditioned power tools” “refurbished power tools” “reconditioned [brand name]” “refurbished [brand name]”

Secret Source #3: Estate Sales Estate sales often have an enormous amount of inventory they need to sell quickly, so it's possible to get a very good deal if you’re in the right place at the right time.


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For best results, and to make best use of time, try to verify beforehand if the estate sale in question includes the kind of power tools you’re looking for. Here are two great sites for finding estate sales in your

area: http://www.estatesales.net/ http://estatesales.org/ For more tips on finding local estate sales, take a look at this helpful article: http://www.ehow.com/how_4891775_auction-estate-sale.html

Secret Source #4: Auctions Auctions can be an extremely economical (not to mention entertaining) way to source the power tools you need.


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Here are some good online resources for finding local auctions: http://www.auctionzip.com/ http://www.farmauctionguide.com/ http://www.findlocalauctions.com/ http://www.auctionguide.com/dir/Tools_&_Plant/ http://www.liquidation.com/wholesale-tools/power-tools.html

TIP #1: For best results, try to make it to auctions with low turnouts so you'll have less people bidding against you. For example, auctions during snowstorms are perfect! TIP #2: If you aren’t careful, your bids can get out of hand. So decide on your max bid for


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each tool before the bidding starts, then stick to it to avoid “bidding fever.”

Secret Source #5: Classifieds Classified ads may not be flashy, but there are still plenty of great deals on power tools to be found there. The “for sale” section of your local paper can be a gold mine.

KEY: Make sure to scan the ads as soon as the paper lands on your doorstep, and then call right away when you find a good deal, because if you don’t hop on it fast, someone else will!

Secret Source #6: Yard Sales I'm always amazed at the bargains you can find at yard sales.

Quite often, the people doing the selling are in "liquidation" mode and would rather just get rid of the stuff than fuss on price. So if the price for a tool is higher than you’d like, negotiate! Nine times


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out of ten they’ll happily accept your offer. Your local paper is usually the best place to find upcoming yard sales, but this national yard sale listing is also a good place to check: http://www.yardsalesearch.com/

TIP: The early bird gets the worm. Go as early as possible to snag the very best of what’s available.

Secret Source #7: Advanced Craigslist Strategies You may be thinking “I already know about Craigslist,” but I can almost guarantee you aren’t using it to its full potential. I’m going to show you some sneaky “deal-finding tricks” that most people will never know! First, a bit of background. If you aren’t familiar with Craigslist, it is the largest online classifieds site in the world. If you've ever bought or sold anything on Craigslist before (http://www.craigslist.org), then you know how incredible this site is. My wife and I have found countless bargains on this site, for everything from power tools to musical equipment to our current vehicle!


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What many people don't realize is how many Craigslist bargains slip by them unnoticed:

The key is to learn how to use Craigslist's search function properly.

Most people just type in the most obvious keyword for what they want, then call it quits. I'm going to teach you how to go much further than that and uncover deals most people miss! Here are my very best Craigslist “deal-finding tricks”:

1. Always check the "free stuff" section of Craigslist first. No sense paying for what you're after if it can be had for free!


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2. Use negative keywords to filter results. If your searches are bringing up a lot of irrelevant results, add “-[irrelevant keyword]” to your search query. For example, if you're looking for a hand drill and you're getting a lot of results for drill presses, you should add “-press” to your search. (example on next page)

3. Don't just search the "tools" section! For some reason, many people list the items they’re selling in the wrong category. The best way to "capture" these mis-categorized items is to make sure you've selected "all for sale/wanted" when you do your search.


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4. Search by common misspellings! You'd be amazed at the number of misspelled listings there are on Craigslist. Sometimes it's because the word or brand is difficult to spell. Other times, they've typed the words quickly and didn't spot the error. Either way, this gives you a great opportunity to snag a deal that people searching the conventional way would never find! For example: in addition to "makita drill," try common misspellings like "maketa drill,” “makeeta drill,” “mikita drill,” and “makita dril.” To illustrate the power of this method, I just did a search for “hitatchi,” a common misspelling of “hitachi.” Look what turned up!

Here are some common brand misspellings you can use:


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black and deker black n decker blackanddecker blak and decker bosh boshc bostich craftman craftmen craftsmen de walt deewalt deltuh hatachi hitachee hitatchi makeeta makituh matabo mikeeta mikita millwaukee milwakee milwauke porter cabel portercabel portercable riobee riobi ryobe ryobee skill stanely stanly Isn’t this fun?


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5. Search by term variations. Not everyone uses the same words to describe their tools. For example: "drill saw" vs. "drill-saw" vs. "drillsaw"; "chop saw" vs. "miter saw," and so on. (example on next page)


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6. Create custom alerts for the tools you want. This is an amazing feature on Craigslist that very few people know about: you can set up an alert so you get notified the moment someone lists the item you want. How great it that? Here’s how it works. First, do a search for the item you want. Let’s say, for example, that you want to find a good used Bosch cordless drill. So you’d do a search for “bosch drill.” Next, you click on the “RSS” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

Then, you simply choose which RSS reader you want to use to keep track of the feed. If you’re not familiar with RSS feeds, this link will tell you everything you need to know: http://www.craigslist.org/about/rss


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7. Search using “desperation clauses.” This is one of the most powerful tricks I use. The idea is to search specifically for listings with phrases that indicate the seller is willing to accept a low price for the listed item. You do this by typing what I call desperation clauses like “must sell,” “need cash” and “quick sale” into the search bar. There are two basic ways to use this strategy. Version #1 – Sniper Method In the sniper method, you add different desperation clauses to the specific power tool you’re looking for.

This approach works best when you are looking for a specific brand or type of tool.


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Version #2 – Shotgun Method In the shotgun method, you type in different desperation clauses and search the “tools” section as a whole, without attaching the search to any specific tool or brand. (example on next page)

This approach is best when you are looking for a wide variety of power tools, not just one brand or tool type. Here’s a list of the most effective desperation clauses: "must sell" "reduced"


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"obo" "desperate" "quick sale" "or best offer" "o.b.o." "deal" "moving" "leaving" "need cash" "free" "it's yours" "its yours" "reasonable" "all offers" "all offers will be considered" "make offer" "make me an offer" Do you see how powerful these methods are? And of course, you can use these methods to find all types of items on Craigslist – not just power tools!

Secret Source #8: Other Classifieds Websites Craigslist is an amazing site, but it’s not the only shop in town. Here are some more classified websites to try: http://www.backpage.com/ http://www.ebayclassifieds.com/ http://www.recycler.com/


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TIP: Many of the search tricks I showed you in the Craigslist section also work for these and other classified websites!

Closing Thoughts Studies show that the speed at which we implement new knowledge has a huge bearing on our success.

With that in mind, I recommend you try at least one of the methods described in these guides right away to find the wood or power tools you need for your next woodworking project. Thanks for reading and I wish

you great success! Sincerely, - Jim Whidden

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